Golf club hand grip



Feb. 17, 1959 Fi1ed Sept. 24, 1956 R. c. MURPHEY, JR

GOLF CLUB-HAND GRIP ROZIER GNURPHEY Jr.

2- Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

m /um Feb. 17, 1959 R. c. MURPHEY, JR 2,873,970

GOLF CLUB HAND GRIP- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 24, 1956 INVENTOR.

ROZIER C. MUIi'PHE'Y Jr.

United States, Patent 2,873,970 GOLF CLUB HAND GRIP Rozier C. Murphey, In, San Diego, Calif. Applicaton September 24, 1956, Serial No. 611,696

3 Claims. (Cl. 273-813) This invention relates generally to golf clubs and more particularly to a golf club characterized byhaving a bifurcated handle.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a handle for a golf club, this handle being bifurcated into two hand holds. It is important to note that this object pertains to the provision of a handle wherein the hand holds are simultaneously and somewhat individually grasped in all cases while the fingers of the hands are disposed in overlapping relation in what is customarily considered to be the conventional or usual manner of grasping a golf club handle. This is mentioned because prior devices wherein individual hand holds are grasped individually with the hands in non-overlapping relation. It is urged that a player does not wish to change his mode of grasping the club handle when changing from one type of club to another, and it is further urged that the instant invention is applicable to all types of golf clubs including putters, the invention having been originally developed primarily for use in putters.

Another object of this invention is to provide a bifurcated handle wherein the hand holds are spaced apart only sufficiently to allow the entry of the fingers of one hand therebetween, the outer portions of the hand holds being configured to fit snugly within the palms of the hands and being dimensioned so that the hands can be held in a natural position with the fingers overlapping in the same manner as the fingers overlap in the widely accepted or classical grip, so that no re-education of the player is required in order to use this invention.

Another object of this invention, ancillary to the preceding objects, is to provide a handle for a golf club wherein a flat is provided to constitute a finger tip rest for the fingers of one hand, this flat or rest being disposed in a critical relationship with the striking head of the golf club wherein the handle is used. This object may, therefore, be considered the provision of a golf club wherein there is a critical relationship between the general plane of the head and the general disposition of a flat in the handle which the player will automatically employ toward the standardization or achievement of uniformity in his grip.

Another object of this invention is to provide a golf club handle which is adapted for fabrication from many different materials, so that the choice of material can be according to the dictates of availability and price considerations, the exact sizes and proportions being matters easily determined to suit particular players, conditions and needs.

With these objects definitely in view, along with other objects which will become evident as this description proceeds, this invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of elements and portions as will be hereinafter described in the specification, particularly pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the drawing which forms a material part of this disclosure, and in which:

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Figure 1 is an elevational view of a golf club incorporating the instant invention;

Figure 2 is another elevational view of the same, this view, as well as Figure 7 being proposed as showing the general plane of bifurcation of the handle coinciding with a plane through the center line of the shank and the head of the club;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the club and this may be considered as taken from a viewpoint above the structure shown in Figure 1;

Figures 4, 5 and 6, are horizontal sectional views taken substantially on the corresponding section lines in Figure 1; and

Figure 7 is a view of the club, considerably enlarged and with the shank broken away and foreshortened, the figure including a representation of the hands of the player.

Similar characters of reference designate similar elements and portions throughout the specification and throughout the different views in the drawings.

Referring now to the structural details shown in the drawings, this improved golf club includes a shank 10, which may be of conventional design, a similarly conventional head 12, and a handle assembly which is generally indicated by the numeral 14.

The handle assembly 14 comprises a socket 16 which is rigidly secured to the upper end of the shank 10, by any suitable means such as by the use of adhesive of the proper characteristics. The handle proper is bifurcated, and the general plane of bifurcation coincides with a plane through the center line of the shaft and through the head 12, it being understood that the word plane is used loosely in this connection, since curved elements are involved. The furcations will be referred to herein as the right hand hold 18 and the left hand hold 20, there being defined therebetween a gap 22. This gap 22, or the distance between the hand holds 18 and 20 is only slightly greater than the thickness of a players fingers so that only the tips of the fingers of one hand will be admitted between the hand holds, as illustrated by the positioning of the finger tips indicated at 23 in Figure 7. These finger tips contact a fiat 24 on the left hand hold 20, this flat constituting a finger tip rest which is disposed so that principal portions of this flat are substantially parallel to a plane extending through the center line of the shaft and the head 12.

Another flat 26 is provided on the right hand hold, and the said flats 24 and 26 may be considered as defining the opposing sides of the gap 22. One possible positioning of the hands is represented in Figure 7 where the right hand 28 is associated with the hand hold 18 and the left hand 30 is associated with the left hand hold 20, the fingers 31 of the right hand 30 being shown as overlapping the fingers of the left hand in what is recognized as the classical grip used by golfers. The flats are substantially parallel to each other, as will be evident from an inspection of Figures 5 and 6.

The cross-sectional shape of each of the hand holds varies considerably throughout the length thereof, but this cross-sectional shape maybe considered as generally or approaching the semi-circular.

Although this invention could easily be adapted for either left hand or right hand players, the form of the invention illustrated is that which is adapted for use of the ordinary right-handed player, the right hand hold 18 being considerably smaller and shorter and fitting completely within the palm of the right hand, while the left handhold 20 is of greater cross-sectional area throughout the length thereof and is considerably longer. Both hand holds are curved slightly longitudinally. In the embodiment illustrated, the outer curved surface 32 of the left hand hold merges into a heel 34 or off-set portion wardly therefrom or toward the right hand of the player. This invention will be clearly comprehended from a consideration of the foregoing description of the mechanical details thereof, taken in connection with the drawings and the above recited objects. It will be obvious that all of the said objects are amply accomplished by this invention It is understood that variation from the form of this invention disclosed herein may be made Without de-- parture from the spirit and scope of the invention and that the drawings and specifications are to be considered as merely illustrative rather than limiting.

I claim:

1. A golf club comprising; a shank, a striking head secured to the lower end of said shank, a handle on the upper end of said shank, said handle being of a length approximately equal to the length of the closed hand of a player and being bifurcated and comprising a right hand hold and a left hand hold in adjacent, generally parallel relation, said hand holds being spaced apart only sufficiently to admit the fingers of one hand therebetween 4 and being dimensioned for being grasped individually and simultaneously grasped by the hands of aplayer with the fingers of the second hand overlapping the fingers of said one hand, said left hand hold being longer and thicker than said right hand hold.

2. A handle for a golf club, said handle being of a length approximately equal to the length of the closed hand of a player and being bifurcated and including means for securement thereof to the upper end of the shank of the golf club, a right hand hold and a left hand hold constituting the furcations of said handle, said hand holds being spaced apart only sufiicien'tly to admit the fingers of one hand and being dimensioned for being grasped individually and simultaneously by the hands of a player with the fingers of the second hand overlapping the fingers of said one hand; said means being a socket and said hand holds being generally parallel to each other and inclined at an acute angle to the axis of said socket, one of said hand holds being longer and thicker than the other of said hand holds.

3. A handle according to claim 2 wherein the longer and thicker hand hold has a flat in that portion thereof adjacent the other hand hold.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,919,221 Janes July 25, 1933 

